Dearest Emmie

Yours to hand of Rom: Way received yesterday. It is Saturday today and it seems an age since last Sunday so by the time you receive this you will have forgotten all you wrote about. It was not a very long letter and I am afraid this will have to be the same.

I went to a horse show yesterday. We walked from 8a.m. till 2p.m. for the motors to tale us and we passed part of the time away by sitting on the kerb enjoying the scenery of the ruins “en face”. As we arrived there late we did not see much and some of our rations was down there and we didn’t see them at all. There was a canteen that had nothing to sell as it had been raided. I suppose they didn’t serve quick enough. We got back about 8 o’cl and were lucky to get a lorry, some of the chaps had to walk back which must have taken them about 2½ hours.

It is the twins birthday on Weds 14th inst they will be 17. Well my dear I will close now and write more next time if poss.

Fondest Love from Will

Dearest Emmie

Yours to hand of the 1st inst. No! perhaps we wouldn’t want to go to the ramble I dare say we could enjoy ourselves just as well on our own as with a crowd: what say you?

On Aug. 4th 14 I think I was a “Southend sur mer”. I remember there were about a doz. newspaper editions every afternoon. Special War Ed: every time. To hear me speak one would think I was a paper boy perhaps it is rather a funny incident to remember.

There was no tragedy in the letter you mention everybody seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when the new colonel came.

I think “it” is quite safe and no fear of it being squashed, in fact it is growing.

The shortest I have seen is a 128th demisemi-demisemiquaver = 1 semi-breve. A demisemiquaver is a 32nd note. semiquaver 16th note. (28th) (94th) (92nd) (O,)(||O|| breve has two beats.) Compre? The latter is mostly seen in church music. You might be surprised if I say that I have no book or rudiments of music I read one once though not here and I had a small one which I left in the band in Blighty, that is all. I think music is the quickest think I grasp, other things I am generally slow but shure. I havn’t seen G Watson again but I dare say I will before he goes up the line. His brother will be of age soon and I don’t think he’s much bigger than young Bert. I must perforce close now as the post is going.

Fondest Love from Yours Ever Will .

Dearest Emmie

In answer to yours of the 31st ult I am better now thanks it was only a cold but I thought it might have been the ‘flu’ again as my eyes ached so much. I should imagine ‘Chu Chin Chow’ is rather difficult to play, n’est-ce pas?

It is still the same as usual here only there seem to be more civilians coming back to their homes. We have just had a practice so this is my second attempt at writing. The last letter I wrote you I should think I left it no less than eight times. It is now pouring of rain so we are just back in time.

I saw George Watson this morning. When you wrote and said that he had seen me I had no idea that he was in a fighting Regt. I thought he would have been in the labour corps. I had a few words with him and will see him again before he goes up the line. I would like to know how Will likes his ride, it is his first long one isn’t it. If you ever have a husband as you say, you have to honour and obey him so he might do whitewashing on Bank Holiday.

By now you will have had your ramble and I hope that you enjoyed it. I had a letter from W.L. and will answer it when I get time. I hope you like the card I sent you yesterday it was a pretty one I think, was not it? I don’t think I told you, but not long ago I met a chum who used to go with me to St Brides school, strange how small the world is isn’t it. Sorry if this is “buckshee” news to you, compre?

Well I will close now dinner is up and there is no “buck” that is an abbreviated buckshee or perhaps the masculine the latter sounds somewhat feminine. Please remember me to Ma & Pa

Fondest Love

From Will xxx

Dearest Emmie

Thanks for the book of papers received yesterday. The Batt is out for a few days so we are fairly busy and I havn’t had much time for writing. The other day a shell struck the church here and made a bit of a mess. A fatigue party was put on the job of cleaning up which was soon finished. In the meantime I had a tune on a small organ which was there. There was not much damage done, the greatest was the hole in the roof which was not very big. I don’t know if I will be able to get my photo taken this week but I will try. The French are still going strong with their advance; of course you get the news before us so I can’t tell you much. It is surprising how many people stick in their homes within range of actual warfare. Well I will close before I take a walk for my drop of stew (“Gip”) so au revoir

With Best Love

From Yours Ever

Will xxx

Dearest Emmie

In answer to yours of the 24th inst I hadn’t time to answer it before the post went so I sent you a field-card. It’s a bad thing to catch a cold in a hollow gum. I guess you knew it some what at any rate I sincerely hope it’s better now. I nearly had the flue, but counter attacked it with two successive forces of hot milk. It is also very showey here and it flops down too. I ask the cause of a double rainbow, of one of the boys and he suggests taking a little more water with of course I point out that that couldn’t be the case. I have seen a similar scene and I think it is a reflection on a mist. I am going to have my photo taken next week if possible so you will see if I have altered much. I don’t know where I will be on Bank Holiday Monday I might be in Blighty or anywhere. I don’t even know what’s happening this afternoon. I hear we are having a change in Colonel so a lot may happen in a week. In answer to your first question. “C” can have three names:- B♯. C. D𝄫. Therefore C, C♯, D have each three names and so has D♯ if you are going to write “D♭x”, D♯, E♯. I don’t think you would find D♭x written in music.

I think that all the other notes except D♯ G♯ and A♯ have three names but these three have only two each. Another way of giving them these is:- (D𝄯♯ D♯ G♭) (G𝄯♯ G♯ A♭) (A𝄯♯ A♯ B♭). I hope you understand that half of the question. These changes are enharmonic. I think that is right but it was a teaser.

Q.A major scale consists of tone, tone semitone tone tone semitone.

Longest note is not a semi=half breve but a breve.

Shortest note is not a 𝅘𝅥𝅰 but a 𝅘𝅥𝅲 (128th note).

I understand your 5th ans. but 1/8 is an octave from C to G is a second.

I hope you understand all this

Fondest love from Will xx

What is a tetrachord

What is syncopation

Dearest Emmie

Just a few lines as I am malade ce matin to let you know that I am still alive and kicking. We had a job this morning of cleaning out an old barn. The mud and dirt in places was nearly a foot deep and it must have been there an age, so you can guess that we wanted gas marks on. We had a rather funny experience yesterday, on returning to our billet yesterday we found that next door had fallen down; rather funny I think, we used to practice in there so I suppose we made the foundation loose. The post has been round but there was no letter for me. What does Mabel say about Will? has he gone yet? I have never heard from him since I have been out, did you say he was going to write? Perhaps he wouldn’t condesend to write to a common soldier.

Well I won’t write any more now as I have a head-ache so au revoir.

With Best Love

From Yours Ever

Will xxx